Fluid-handling apparatus



March 10, 1959 v, c, SMTH 2,876,791

FLUID-HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 4

INVENTOR. VERITY C. SMITH ATTORNEYS required for this alignment.

2,876,791 FLUID-HANDLING APPARATUS Verity C. Smith, Dedham,

Still and Sterilizer Co., of Massachusetts Mass, assignor to BarnsteadBoston, Mass., a corporation This invention relates to apparatus forhandling fluids, particularly apparatus of the type which includes aunit that is periodically removed and replaced. The object of theinvention is to provide apparatus in which the unit may be removed andreplaced quickly and by remotely controllable means such as by means ofa traveling crane, without requiring the nearby presence of humanbeings.

Although numerous applications may obviously be made of apparatus ofthis type, a particularly useful apparatus in which this invention maybe embodied is an ion exchange demineralizer for treating solutionscontaining radioactive matter. Such units are commonly used in nuclearenergy installations to treat process waters prior to their ultimatedisposal. The ion exchangers used to remove the radioactive matterbecomehighly radioactive and present the problem of being re moved andreplaced without exposing the plant personnel to dangerous levels ofradiation.

The present invention provides apparatus of utmost simplicity which maybe placed in a fluid-treating system by lowering it into place. Theconnections to and from it, including the aligning, connecting andfastening of the mating conduit portions are made simultaneously withthe placing of the unit into position and without any additionaloperations or manipulations.

In general the invention comprises a base member which includes inletand outlet connection receptacles for incorporating the apparatus into afluid-handling system, and a fluid-treating unit which is seated on thebase member. The fluid-treating unit may embody any of numerouswell-known types of processing equipment such as the ion exchangerdescribed above, or a filter, heat exchanger, adsorber or otherapparatus which is commonly removed and replaced from time to time. Suchequipment will include inlet and outlet channels, and in the unit ofthis invention these are formed to mate with the inlet and outletconnection receptacles of the base member in a manner such thatconnection between the channels and receptacles are respectively made byvertical rectilinear motion, and are held together by the force of theweight of the unit resting on the base member.

The unit accordingly includes a housing having inlet and outlet channelsand means for engaging the housing to lift or lower it, such as a ring,hook or other similar device.

Proper positioning of the unit with respect to the base member,including the prealigning of the inlet and outlet channels of the unitwith the inlet and outlet connection receptacles of the base member isalso assured. For

this purpose the base is arranged with guide means over it for centeringthe unit over the base member while it is lowered into place. Thecentered unit is further positioned to bring the inlet and outletchannels into proper alignment by a circularly inclined race or trackwhich engages a guide key on the unit to cause its rotation as The unititself is accordingly centered. overthe basewith its inlet and outletchannels in proper alignment, while the unit is being lowered. When theunit is finally seated on the base member the fluid couplings to it areestablished as the unit is placed in serviceable condition.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which Fig. l is a top plan view of one embodiment of thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation second embodiment of the invention; and

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are longitudinal cross sections through theconnection receptacles and channels show ing typical types ofconnections that may be used.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the fluid-treating unit 10 comprises agenerally cylindrical housing 11 having downwardly projecting inlet andoutlet conduits 12 and 14 through which a fluid may be introduced andremoved from the unit. The unit 10 is supported in use on a base member16 having a pair of fluid connection receptacles 18 and 20 which connectwith appropriate conduits 22 and 23 for supplying the fluid to theapparatus. The inlet and outlet conduits 12 and 14 are received in thecon nection receptacles 18 and 20, connection and disconf nection beingmade by the simple vertical rectilinear motion attendant upon the unitbeing lowered or lifted from the base 16. The unit 10 rests on the basemember 16 by its own weight and may be lifted and replaced for whichpurpose an eye 15 is provided at the top.

Guide means over the base 16 is formed from several upwardly extendingrods 26 which surround the unit 10 and flare outwardly at their upperends to define a receiv ing cage 27 having an upper section of generallyconical form centered over the base 16 and having a lower secshowing thetop portion of a tion of generally cylindrical form. The lowermost partholding the unit by the eye 15 at within 45 Where rough alignment ofthis typeis not possiblqthe,

of the conical upper section is at a level to center the unit 10 when itis well above the base. The upper ends of the rods 26 are convenientlyjoined by a ring 28 which lends rigidity to the structure.

The receiving cage 27 also includes guide members 30 and 32 havingcircularly inclined race or track portions 30a and 32a which converge attheir lower ends in closely' spaced vertical sections. These raceportions engage aguide key 34 projecting outwardly from the unit 10 andbring it to a predetermined location corresponding to the unit being inproper alignment with the base member 16. The inclined track portions30a and 32a accordingly span a vertical distance such that the guide key34 is engaged only after the unit is centered by the upper conical pertion of the receiving cage and is brought to aligned position betweenthe lower vertical sections before the inlet and outlet conduits 12 and14 engage the connection receptacles 18 and 20. The unit 10 is thusbrought into complete alignment prior to being seated on the base 16 andconnected with the conduits 22 and 23.

Since the upper ends of the rods 30 and 32 are widely spread, anauxiliary guide rod 35 located generally in and as part of the upperconical section of the cage 27 is carried by the ring 28 to leave nospace between the rods through which the unit might pass withoutinterception by the upper portion of the cage 27.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the upper ends of the inclinedtracks terminate at an angular separation of about'90" measured aboutthe axis of the unit 10 and it is contemplated that in use means capableof of each side of aligned position will be used so that when the unitis centered the guide key 34 will be located somewhere, within thespanned by the upper ends of the inclined tracks.

"guide key 34 assent e tracks nia'y be dedfarther around the cylindncal'lower portion of the receivin'g cage 27. In the embodiment shown in Fig.if each of the guide tracks 343a and 32;: extends halfway around theunit and they meet "he back. Noprelihiinary'rou'gh alignment istherefore dedsince at any position the key 34 is, bound to meet somepart of one of the inclinedtracks 110a or 32:; and be brought toitsaligned position. As shown, the tracks 30a and 32a are" supported bythe vertical rods 26 with their inner edges lying in the samecylindrical surface as the inner surface of the rods 26. Whereconnectedto the tracks, each rod is bent outwardly to permit the to passby in following along the track,

a The connection between the inlet and outlet conduits 12' and 14 andthe respective connection receptacles 18 and Ztlrnay be ma'de throughany of numerous types of fiuid'coupling de'vices which permit connectionto be made by rectilinear motion. Gnc preferred type is shown in Fig.

4 ,with specific reference to the receptacle'lS and conduit 12. Thereceptacle is formed with an interior anhular shoulder as surroundingthe fluid passage 42, and the conduit12 is for-med with bevelled'edgewhich rests on a soft resilient gasket 44 carried by the shoulder 40.auxiliary sealing gasket 46 in the'space over the shoulder 40 extendinginwardly into light contact with he conduit is also provided. Theauxiliary gasket 46 is conveniently held by a cover ring 48, bolted tothereceptacle base 18. The cover ring 48 is preferably formed with adownwardly convergingconical upper surface which terminates in anopening slightlylarger than the conduit 12 and centeredover the channel42 and shoulder 40. The ring cover 48 thereby serves further to assure poperalignrnent of the conduit and receptacle prior to final seating. I cv V y Alternative types of connections between the conduit, e. g.12,'and receptacle, 'e. g. 18, are shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

in that shown in Fig. 5 the receptacle 18 is formed with a lower bore :0and an upper bore 52 which terminates at its lower end in a shoulder 53surrounding the top of the lower bore. At its upper end the upper boremerges into adownwardly converging conical portion. The shouldersupports a gasket 54 surrounding an elastic tube 56 which extendsupwardly from the gasket 54 and downwardly into the lower bore 50. Theconduit 12, whenlowered into position, rests on the gasket 54 andsurrounds the upper part of the tube'56, which may then eggpand, underthe pressure of the fluid being treated, into contact with the conduit12.

In the connection shown in Fig. 6 the receptacle 1 8 ndconduit 12 engageat mating conical sections 18a and12a respectively, each of whichcarries a coating 18!; and 12b respectively of a resilient material,such as rubber, to assure a tight connection. An advantage of this typeof connection is that the force normal to the mating surfacesisextremelyhigh relative to its vertical component which supports theweight of the unit.

A similar connection is shown in Fig. 7, except that the end of theconduit 12 is formed. to be'resilient to permitreaction to the pressureof the fluid being treated. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower endof the conduit 12'is formed with resilient fingers 60 which are embeddedin the resilient coating 12b on the 'conduit 12.

.From the foregoing description it will be seen that the fluid-treatingunit of this invention is well suited'for'use in. numerous types offluid-treating operations, particularly those which require removal andreplacement of units with a minimum of human contact. Such may be easilydone with apparatus of 'this' inventionsimply by lifting the unit'frornits base, as by meansjof'a crane or derrick "by which the 'eye' I'S''isi engaged, andj jthe renewed unittnayf'be placed in servicemerelybyflowering' it into place. The upper portion receiving cage'27 providesa guide that serves tocenter the unit while the interaction tif ih'e'giiicle key 34 aiid'tr'ack Mid- 32a brings the inlet a j et'coi a ts2am ia qo im par faliaiiint 'serefe' they are feceived in the connectionreceptacles 18 and 20.

Tight connection between the conduits 12 and 14 and connectionreceptacles 18 and 20 is provided by the force of the weight of the unitwhich is substantially entirely borne by the conduits. Thetotal fluidpressure which may be handled will vary withthe weight of the unit andthe cross sectional area of the conduits 12 and 14, and thesemay'b'evaried considerably to'accommodat'e a wide'range of conditions.These considerations are believed to be well within the understanding ofthose skilled infthe a t: w.

Although described with specific reference to the presently preferredembodiments of this'invention, it is contemplated that modificationswill occur to those skilled in the art and that such may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of theinvention, n v u I Having thus disclosedmy invention and described in detail its preferred embodiments, I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent: I n A 1 Fluid processingapparatus comprising a base having inlet and outlet conduit means forincorporating the app'aratus into 'a fluid flowsystem, and inlet andoutlet connectionmembers communicating with said conduit means; afluid-treating unit comprising a housing having inlet and outletconduits terminating in connector members connectible with said inletand outlet connection members by vertical rectilinear motion, saidfluid-treating unit being seated on said base with its inlet and outletconnectorm embers being held'in connected relation with the inlet andoutlet connection members by the vertical force vofthe weight of theflnid-treating unit; means enwhile .it is being lowered and center itover said base,

and a lower portion having means for rotating said unit while it. isbeing lowered to bring said members into connectedalignrnent. V p

g 2. The system defined by'claim 1 wherein the lower portion of saidguide meansincludes an inclined track and the unit is formed with aflkeymember engageable with said track, said keymember and track beingeffective to cause said unit to rotate while it is being lowered. 3,Fluid processing apparatusfcomprising a base having inlet and outletconduit means for incorporating the apparatus into 1a fluid fiow system,and inlet and outlet connection member communicating with said conduitmeans; a fluid-treating unit comprising a housing having inletand outletconduits terminating in connector members conhectible with said inletand outlet connection members by vertical rectilinear motion, saidfluid-treating unitbcingseatedjon said base with its inlet and outletconnector members being held in connected relation with the inlet andoutlet connection members by the vertical force of the weight of thefluid-treating unit; means engageable for raising and lowering saidfluid-treating unit; guide means over said base comprising a downwardlyconverging upperportion adapted to engage said unit whileIit'is beinglowered and center it over said base, and a l owercylindrical portionadapted to hold said unit centrally over said base, said lowercylindrical portion having atitsperiphery 'a'circularly inclined track;and a guide key on' said unit e'ngag'eable with said track.

. '4. Fluidprocessing'apparatus comprising a base having inlet andoutletco'nduit means for incorporating the apparatusfint'o a fluid flowsystem, and inlet and outlet connection members communicating with said.conduit f ans. i cludin gre ept h v g n uhr' ho dm' n a"d 'w .,w v'w vssi i u es ua e e t te ws members extendingpastsaid guide surfacesan'dengaging said s hotild'er\vlriereby" said connector members are con-'nectible with said inlet and outlet connection members by verticalrectilinear motion, said fluid-treating unit being seated on said basewith its inlet and outlet connector members being held in connectedrelation with the inlet and outlet connection members by the verticalforce of the Weight of the fluid-treating unit; means engagea'ble forraisingand lowering said fluid-treating unit; guide means over said basecomprising a downwardly converging upper portion adapted to engage saidunit While it is being lowered and center it over said base, and a lowercylindrical portion adapted to hold said unit centrally over said base,said lower cylindrical portion having at its periphery a circularlyinclined track; and a guide key on said unit engageable with said track.

5. Fluid processing apparatus comprising a base having inlet and outletconduit means for incorporating the apparatus into a fluid flow system,and inlet and outlet connection members having vertical axescommunicating with said conduit means; a fluid-treating unit comprisinga housing having inlet and outlet conduits terminating at their lowerends in connector members having vertical axes and connectible with saidinlet and outlet connection members by vertical rectilinear motion, saidfiuid-treating unit being seated on said base with its inlet and outletconnector members being held in connected relation with the inlet andoutlet connection members by the vertical force of the weight of thefluid-treating unit; means engageable for raising and lowering saidfluid-treating unit; and guide means over said base adapted to interceptsaid unit while it is being lowered to center and align said unit withsaid base and to align said connector members with said connectionmembers.

Ford Nov. 1, 1910 Isbell May 31, 1932

